Parish hires liaison officer

The problem is not unique to Vermilion Parish or to Louisiana for that matter. Jail overcrowding has been an issue for law enforcement and governments for quite some time. Recently, the jail in Opelousas was ordered by the fire marshal to reduce the number of inmates because they were in violation of the fire code.
In the parish, the 150 bed jail facility owned and maintained by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury is always at capacity with an average of 35 inmates in overflow facilities around the state at any given time.
To help alleviate the problems, the Vermilion Parish Police Jury hired Roberta Boudreaux on July 21, as liaison officer between the parish and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office. This is the first position of its kind in the state.
Boudreaux has 18 years experience in the criminal justice system in Iberia Parish .
Working closely with the correctional facility warden, Colonel Kirk Frith, and with the court system, Boudreaux hopes to alleviate the more than $1.5 million that was spent last year by the jury to house inmates in other jails around the state. While another $1 million was spent with the VPSO.
“We will always be at capacity at this facility,” Frith stated. “There are warrants that can’t be executed because there is nowhere to put the person arrested.”
Police Jury President Gerald Butaud stated that he thinks Boudreax is a good fit for the challenges that lay before them.
“It’s not an easy job, but she has a good handle on the system and will be a valuable asset.”